My Baby
by Crashxin2xMe
Summary: JackChloe fic. this is a little fic that is about Jack's homecoming from China. T to be on the safe side...


Title: Baby ...

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING

Pairing: Jack/Chloe

Prompt: one word from my bff "baby"

Short fic. that popped into my head when she gave me the prompt. It's fluffy. Just did it to make people smile. Hope you enjoy the cuteness after my last 'angsty' 24 fic.

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**Jack Bauer's Apartment: Home coming (from China) **

Early in the morning, just past midnight, he laid in his bed...his mind wandering.

**CHINA: 3 Months Earlier**

It was 12 a.m. The lights were off, the room was cold, and the floor was hard. Jack Bauer was lying at the bottom of a cell. He was cold, the air was damp. His lungs were failing him as his throat closed. Pneumonia no doubt. Jack sat up to cough. His chest heaved as he tried to suck in air, his back shook violently. After the coughing fit subsided, he decided it useless to lie back down; in fear that his lungs would give out on him again. He put his back against one of the brick walks and looked out of the little window with three bars. He could see the moon. The night sky was clear; the stars were sprinkled through out the bluish-black sky. He raked his hand through his lengthening hair. He grimaced in disgust; he'd always hated anything but a crew-cut. He closed his eyes and opened them when another bout of coughing took place. He brought his eyes up to the window once the second bout left him gasping for air. Briefly he thought of Kim and Audrey; but a lingering thought stayed on the idea of Chloe.

He thought of Chloe sleeping, peacefully in her bed. Warm under her covers, snuggled up to her pillow. He wondered for a moment if she had at any point this evening looked up at the very same moon. The thought eased his mind a bit; it allowed him to rest easy. She always made him feel relaxed. He knew that she'd always have his back. He eased his head back and closed his eyes and allowed an illusion of himself laying next to Chloe in a soft bed with warm sheets take the place of his mind over the cold cell.

**Chloe O'Brian's Residence: The very same Evening**

It was 7 a.m. Chloe O'Brian sat on her balcony, breathing in the cool, damp morning dew. She'd sat there all night. She was sitting in the cold night air, alone. She'd kicked Morris out the afternoon before, and though she didn't regret it, she couldn't seem to let herself sleep alone in her bed. It wasn't that she missed him, no ... she was relieved when they'd decided they're relationship was a "no-go"... it was the warmth of waking up with arms around her that she missed.

She watched as the beauty of the moon escaped into an orange, pink, and purple sunrise. All night she'd looked up at the sky, admiring its beauty and loathing its grace. She couldn't believe it ... she was jealous of the sky. "You're losing it O'Brian." she scolded herself. All though, the thought wasn't crazy; the sky was free, beautiful, graceful, meaningful, and it was consistent. Not a day went by without it, and you could always count on it being there. No matter what.

That's how Chloe and Jack had been. Consistent. But it all changed. Jack was in China now... and she had nothing.

She brought her knees to her chest and looked at the moon one more time before it disappeared for the day. She closed her eyes and allowed the illusion that was Jack slip into her mind and dominate her thoughts. She wondered, secretly, if he was watching the very same moon.

**Jack Bauer's Residence: Presently**

Jack lay on his back for what seemed like hours. After a while, he turned over on his side and looked out his window. Past the foggy glass pane, he saw the navy sky and glistening Moon. At that moment he realized his home coming was incomplete. Living through the day was the main game of the day, but he had one more thing he had to do. After seconds of looking at the moon, he shuffled out of bed. He threw on a pair of jeans, running shoes, and a leather jacket. After a quick clothing change, he ran out his door.

The wind whipped his face. He looked at the street light. After a second of contemplation, he started running. Instead of driving eight miles down the curved roads through streetlights and numerous stop signs; he ran. The wind continuously whipped his face. But he continued to run, one foot in front of another. "Don't stop. Don't ever stop." he thought to himself. His pace never slowed, even when his chest began to heave during the seventh mile. After and hour and fifteen minutes, he arrived at his destination.

He walked slowly up the driveway of the townhouse. When he came to the black front door, he took a breath. He let out a warm sigh, still slightly breathless from his run. He got up his courage, and rapped his knuckles on the door. After a couple of seconds ticked by, the door remained shut. He tried again, but to no avail, the door stayed shut. Jack looked around the door for a second, then reached behind the porch light and grabbed the key taped to it. He'd expected a more secretive place for the silvery key, from the CTU employee. However, he let the horror of realizing how unsafe she was being escape him, and he opened the heavy door.

**Chloe O'Brian's Bedroom **

She heard the front door creak. She shot up, looking at her clock. 1:19 a.m. She sat utterly still listening for other sounds. After a second she heard nothing. She reassured herself that there was nothing in her home. Then she heard the squeak of the floorboards of her kitchen. Her breath hitched in her chest. "Oh my god." she thought. She listened another second when she heard steps on the other side of her bedroom door. Her hand bolted to her side table and opened the drawer. She slid her hand through the drawer's opening. Her fingers slid over the smooth walls and bottom of the drawer. She produced the one contents of the drawer. She held the smooth gun into her hand and aimed it at the entrance of the door from her bed, too frightened to move. The door knob rattled, she cocked her gun, and the door opened. The halls light leaked in from behind the intruder, compromising Chloe's aim.

A bullet escaped the gun's chamber, and lodged itself into the door frame.

"Chloe!" he warned in a gruff tone.

"Jack?!" she gasped, jumping from her bed.

"Yes Chloe, it's me."

She ran to him, gun still in hand. Tears were gathering in her eyes. "What have I done?" she mumbled. "Are you okay?" she pleaded with her voice.

"I'm fine." he yanked the gun from her hand and it fell to the ground. Her hands found their way to his shoulders. His hands clasped her rib cage.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him with anger in her voice, which subsided and grew with concern.

"I had to see you." he said plainly, in a hushed tone.

"What? Jack, you should be sleeping. You haven't been in a bed in two years. What's with you? What's wrong?" she asked with desperation in her hushed voice.

"I couldn't sleep." his hands tightened on her rib cage, which was enclosed in a white spaghetti strap tank-top.

"Jack. What's wrong?" she squeezed his shoulders.

He averted his eyes to the floor. She squeezed his shoulders lovingly as he brought his eyes up to hers. She searched his eyes for answers. His cobalt eyes reflected pain, sadness, and something she couldn't place.

"I missed you." he said almost inaudibly. He brought his eyes to meet hers.

"I missed you, too, Jack." she established. She moved her hands from his shoulders to his muscular back and brought him close to her. He gathered her in his strong arms and buried his face in the dip of her neck. She felt tears fall to her neck, from his eyes. She brought one of her hands up to the back of his head. She rand her fingers gracefully through his short hair, she then led him over to her bed where he sat on the edge of her bed, while she stood. This made the height difference manageable.

After his tears subsided, as did hers; which she hadn't noticed began to fall, he brought his face away from hers. She could she it in his eyes, he was rebuilding the walls he'd let down.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here." he said as he began to stand up. She pushed him lightly back down to sit on the bed.

"Why _did _you come here?" she asked humanely.

"I missed you. In China. I miss you now." he admitted.

"I'm right here. You have my attention." she whispered with confusion.

"You're not mine to have." he declared. She stayed confused a moment. He picked up her hand and looked at it in his. She looked over his face, confusion showing on her features, as he continually looked at her small hand in his. After a second, keeping one hand beneath her fingers, the other under her wrist, he brought her hand to his lips.

"Good-bye, Chloe." he kissed her hand tenderly; squeezing his eyes shut, savoring the moment.

"What? Jack." she questioned as he got up to leave.

"You're Morris' now. I can't compete. I hope you're happy. Thank you Chloe." he said over his shoulder as he walked towards the door. "I love you." he mumbled, as he exited the room. It took her a moment to register the words, her jaw dropped and she ran after him.

"Jack!" she yelled down the hall. He turned to look at her as he stood at her opened front door. The rain was falling through the door now. She ran up to him, faltering, stopping a few steps too short. She closed the gap with minuscule steps. "You have me. Morris is gone. You have me Jack." she spoke inarticulately. She looked into his eyes, watching his eyes cloud in confusion. More articulately this time, she leaned into him and whispered, "I love you, too." She ran her hands over his strong chest. He looked down at her then brought her closer to him, lifting her off her feet. Her hands came up around his neck and his calloused thumbs rand over her cheek bones. His lips came down towards hers slowly, as she brought hers to his forcefully. They kept their lips together, kissing with hunger and passion that had bottled up for two years. When they pulled away for air, she took his hands in hers and kissed his knuckles as he had hers. Tears welled up in her eyes, as did his. "Finally." he whispered as they put their foreheads together. He pulled his away first and swiftly picked her up in his arms.

**Chloe O'Brian's Bedroom; 4:00 a.m. **

Jack lay on the bed at 4:00 a.m. starring out the window across the room. He could see the moon shimmer on the navy background. He turned around on his other side and pulled Chloe closer to his chest. She was still clad in her white tank-top and hot pink pajama pants. He was still in his jeans and grey shirt. His jacket and shoes were discarded near the door. He kissed the back of her head, her chestnut hair tickling his nose. She responded to his kiss by intertwining her arm with his, which was wrapped protectively around her waist. He smiled and brought his mouth down next to her ear. While playing with her hair and holding her tightly to him, he whispered, "I promise, I'll never leave you again. I love you. I love you. I love you. Please, never let me leave you." he pleaded.

"Hmm?" she muttered, half away.

"I said, I love you baby. And I promise, I'll never make you sleep alone again. You're my shining Moon. Now that I've got you, I'm never letting you go." he tightened his hold on her yet, "You'll always be my baby."

He thought she'd gone back to sleep, so he lay his head down on the pillow and drifted off into a slumber. She rolled over, draped her arm over his broad, strong chest and whispered into his ear, "You've always been my baby."


End file.
